Apple Extends Repair Program for iPhone 12 Models With Earpiece Sound Issues

Apple today extended its service program for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models experiencing earpiece-related sound issues.

iphone 12 red feature
The program now covers affected iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro devices for up to three years after the first retail sale of the device, compared to up to two years previously, according to Apple. The one-year extension applies worldwide.

Apple launched the service program in August 2021 after the company determined that a "very small percentage" of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro devices may experience sound issues due to a component that might fail on the earpiece module, also known as the receiver. The issue can result in the earpiece failing to emit sound during phone calls.

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service eligible iPhones, free of charge, with steps to initiate the process outlined on Apple's website. Affected devices were manufactured between October 2020 and April 2021, and the program does not apply to the iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 12 Pro Max, according to Apple.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iphone air thickness

Apple Said to Cut iPhone Air Production Amid Underwhelming Sales

Friday October 17, 2025 8:29 am PDT by
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec). The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

New iPad Pro Has Six Key Upgrades Beyond M5 Chip

Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more. With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
iPhone Siri Glow

Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri

Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings. iOS 26.4 will...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
m4 macbook air blue

M5 MacBook Air Coming Spring 2026 With M5 Mac Studio and Mac Mini in Development

Thursday October 16, 2025 3:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year. Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...

Top Rated Comments

mihirdelirious Avatar
41 months ago
*Checks menu*
Hi, I’ll take the usual “very small percentage of customers” special.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
41 months ago
Hopefully only a small percentage of devices were affected.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lloigorr Avatar
41 months ago

Hopefully only a small percentage of devices were affected.
It‘s just a „very small percentage“ as stated above ?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mizouse Avatar
42 months ago
No one ever calls me, how will I know if mine are broken? :(



Wish they would extend the repair program for my craptastic crackling AirPods Pros.
There is one thou?

https://support.apple.com/airpods-pro-service-program-sound-issues

Also I just got mine replaced last weekend due to my right bud crackling and sounding like a tin can. I bought them on 2021 Cyber Monday.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KaliYoni Avatar
42 months ago

the earpiece failing to emit sound during phone calls
Wait a minute! Do you mean to tell me my camera, music streamer, AirPods base station, TikTok portal, Uber hailer, emoji generator, and sexting helper also is a phone? Wow!



;-)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
42 months ago
Wish they would extend the repair program for my craptastic crackling AirPods Pros.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)